I've been wanting a very simple desk that was durable and the right size for some time now. When mid-century modern furniture started popping up a few years ago, I fell in love. The minimalist style drew me in. There were simple and uncomplicated, however, the prices of these good quality pieces were ridiculous and something that I was not prepared to dole out. Instead, with my husband's help, we built our own customized desk. All we needed was a few items put it all together.
Did you know that hairpin legs were invented by Henry P. Glass in 1941. Hairpin legs were a true war-time invention; their design limited the amount of material needed while keeping the strength of traditional legs. A true form meets function story.
(Source: http://www.madformidcentury.com)
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Build a desk with these easy instructions and minimal materials.
Materials
Wood - 50" length x 24" width
4 Hairpin Legs - 26"
Screws
Drill
I bought the hairpin legs on Etsy from Philly Fabrication. They are a group of craftsmen dedicated to producing high quality items as ethically as possible. Decently priced and comes within 2 business days. It already comes with all of the screws you need so no need to buy new ones. When ordering, you can specify the height that you want which makes it even easier. It also comes in minimal packaging. Pins are wrapped in paper with very little plastic so that is also a win in my book.
This is my second time ordering from them and very happy with the first coffee table that we built. Same way, just with shorter legs. That table is very durable as I stand on it a few times a year to make sure it's stable. Ha. Don't ask!
This is how the hair pin legs came. Minimal packaging, very little plastic. Just a strip to tie the legs together. Almost everything is recyclable and compostable.
For the wood, my husband works at a company that had some leftover trailer wood. They were able to cut it to size for him and joined together with reinforced steel. You can of course use reclaimed wood or wood cut to size from Home Depot. Make it easy for yourself and get a size that doesn't require customization.
From there, it was an easy assembly of lining up the pins to the wood.
I sanded the wood after it was assembled and applied Danish Oil to the top as I wanted to keep the natural wood grains to see through, but wanted a bit more protection on the wood.
I guess you can always buy a desk from Ikea for probably around the same price, but most of those are made of particle board or plastic. They are also not meant to last long. The good thing about this desk is that you still have the same satisfaction of assembling it yourself. As long as you use good, quality wood, it will also last. It's so minimal that over time you can re-paint, re-stain or re-use for something else if you get tired or bored with it.
The final product! It sits by the entrance to the deck so I get some sunshine and a breeze once in a while.